The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on October 14th that the new customs declaration requirements for small international shipments have been delayed by 90 days, and will now begin implementation on January 20, 2027.
The press release issued by CBP on that day stated that the compliance deadline for the new “Informal Entry” process for international mail has been extended from October 22nd to January 20th of the following year. This 90-day extension provides importers, customs brokers, and logistics providers with more time to update their processes and also helps avoid disruptions in international postal shipments heading to the United States.
CBP categorizes import customs clearance into two main types: “Formal Entry” for goods valued over $2,500 or for specific regulated items, and “Informal Entry” for goods valued at $2,500 or less.
Previously, there was a special exemption for “de minimis” items: packages valued below $800 were basically exempt from formal clearance and duty payment. In June of this year, CBP officially suspended this exemption indefinitely by regulation, and included parcels that were previously eligible for the de minimis threshold under the scope of “Informal Entry,” necessitating the establishment of a new customs clearance process for these parcels.
Since 2015, CBP has implemented a policy where “de minimis” goods do not require customs clearance, aiming to prevent additional costs and inconvenience during the handling process. CBP data shows that tax-free international shipments have increased nearly tenfold over the past decade, from $139 million in 2015 to over $1.36 billion in 2024.
This massive volume of small-scale trade has placed a heavy burden on CBP in identifying illicit goods and handling related cargo. CBP Acting Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas stated that ending this exemption policy will “close loopholes” and prevent criminals from using this policy to smuggle contraband through international mail.
While CBP has extended the implementation date of the new customs declaration regulations, they still encourage declarants to use the declaration process for international postal shipments to ensure importers, customs brokers, and logistics service providers are prepared before January.
The new requirements for the Informal Entry declaration process for mailed items include the following: a licensed customs broker must serve as the “nominal importer,” the legal importer of record; a customs bond must be provided to ensure payment of duties, taxes, and fees; in addition, the declaration must be submitted electronically.